U.S. veteran returns Japanese flag to soldier's family

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 - 01:33

Marvin Strombo, a 93-year-old United States Marine Corps World War II veteran, returns a Japanese flag to the family of Sadao Yasue, a soldier who had died during World War II nearly 73 years ago. Grace Lee reports.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

It was almost 73 years ago that U.S. veteran Marvin Strombo found this flag, lying next to a dead soldier in the outskirts of a Japanese village.
But it wasn't until now, decades later, when he returned it to Sadao Yasue's family, that he understood what it really stood for.
"I was on the Japanese line all by myself, I thought. But then I got to walking around and I saw this soldier, Japanese soldier laying there. And I had a hard time chasing that flag because you know, that means a lot to them," said Strombo.
Yasue was following a common Japanese World War II tradition, carrying his national flag, covered with messages of family and friends wishing for his safe return.
"As I reached out to take the flag, I made a promise to him that some day I would try to return it," said Strombo.
Strombo says he wanted to return the flag soon after the war, but couldn't figure out how.
Five years ago he got in touch with a non-profit that managed to track down Yasue's family, ending the decades-long search.
A ceremony was held in Yasue's hometown, with Strombo returning a missing piece of family history for Yasue's brother and two sisters.
"It was a very emotional moment really, you know. I saw her holding that flag, and it about broke my heart, you know. And, that's the reason I was glad I returned it too," said Strombo.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: